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To enact sections 5.2271 and 3701.137 of the Revised
Code to designate November as "Complex Regional
Pain Syndrome Awareness Month" and to require the
Department of Health to include on its web site
information regarding the syndrome.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

Section 1. That sections 5.2271 and 3701.137 of the Revised
Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 5.2271. The month of November is designated as "Complex
Regional Pain Syndrome Awareness Month" to promote public
awareness of complex regional pain syndrome, also known as reflex
sympathetic dystrophy syndrome.

Sec. 3701.137. (A) As used in this section, "complex
regional pain syndrome" or "CRPS," also known as reflex
sympathetic dystrophy syndrome, means a debilitating and
progressively chronic syndrome characterized by severe burning
pain, pathological changes in bone and skin, excessive sweating,
tissue swelling, and extreme sensitivity to touch.

(B) The department of health shall include information on its
internet web site to promote complex regional pain syndrome
education in a manner that enables individuals to make informed
decisions about their health. The information on the web site
shall include all of the following:

(1) Emerging research regarding the pathophysiology of CRPS;

(2) The risk factors that contribute to the manifestation of
CRPS;

(3) Available treatment options, including the risks and
benefits of those options;

(4) Information on environmental safety and injury
prevention;

(5) Information on rest and the use of appropriate body
mechanics;

(6) Information on the availability of diagnostic, treatment,
and outreach services for CRPS;

(7) Information concerning any other factors or elements that
might mitigate the effects of CRPS.

(C) The department shall notify boards of health, hospitals,
clinics, and other health care providers about the availability of
information concerning CRPS on the department's web site.

Section 2. Section 3701.137 of the Revised Code, as enacted
by this act, shall take effect ninety days after the effective
date of this act.

Section 3. (A) As used in this section, "complex regional
pain syndrome" or "CRPS" has the same meaning as in section
3701.137 of the Revised Code.

(B) The General Assembly finds and declares all of the
following with respect to complex regional pain syndrome:

(1) CRPS occurs in five per cent of all cases of nerve
injuries.

(2) CRPS is thought to be a neuropathic pain syndrome that
generally occurs at the site of a minor or major trauma injury,
but may also occur without an apparent injury.

(3) While the cause of CRPS is unknown, both the peripheral
and central nervous systems are involved.

(4) The syndrome is unique in that it simultaneously affects
the nerves, skin, muscles, blood vessels, and bones, and if
untreated, can result in permanent disability and chronic pain.

(5) CRPS is often misdiagnosed because the syndrome is either
unknown or poorly understood. The prognosis for patients suffering
from CRPS is generally much better when CRPS is identified and
treated as early as possible.

(6) If treatment is delayed, CRPS can quickly spread to an
entire limb and changes in bone and muscle may become
irreversible, resulting in limited mobility, atrophy of the
muscles, and eventual permanent disability.

(7) Since a delay in the diagnosis or treatment of CRPS can
result in severe physical and physiological problems, and early
recognition and prompt treatment of CRPS provides the greatest
opportunity for recovery, it is in the best interest of the public
to require the Department of Health to include information on its
internet web site pursuant to section 3701.137 of the Revised Code
to educate both individuals and medical professionals regarding
this debilitative condition.

Section 4. This act shall be known and may be cited as the
"Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Education Act."